There are still a good few reasons to carry a single action revolver. Single actions are simple, bulletproof designs that can take abuse. Whether you are carrying around a .22 small game-getter or a big-bore bear master, a revolver is only as good as the piece of leather it rides in.
Safariland makes a wide variety of holsters for duty and everyday carry, but if you are looking for a solid single-action revolver holster, take a look at the Bianchi Lawman.
Here is my mileage:
Bianchi Lawman: Features and Materials
The Bianchi Lawman is a fitted vegetable-tanned leather holster designed with Single Action Army revolvers and their clones in mind. It features an open muzzle, suede lining, and a sturdy retention strap that rides behind the hammer when secured in its steel snap on the holster body.
Instead of belt loops that warp and droop over time, the Lawman has a fold-over belt loop that is drawn over and double ivory stitched to the back of the holster. The loop is large enough for 2.5-inch Western belts but happily fits more conventional 1.5 and 1.75-inch gun belts. The loop is also canted so the revolver will ride forward for an easy draw but not so easy as to guard against a snatch from the rear.
Like the bottom of the belt loop, the rear line of the holster is double-stitched for added durability.
As with many of Bianchi’s products, the Bianchi Lawman is sourced from South and Central American steerhide and constructed in Mexico. Although that part of the world is not known for high manufacturing standards in the world of appliances and autos, the leatherwork is among the most solid you can buy.
Fits
The Bianchi Lawman is available in either a left hand or right hand draw and is available for the most popular single action revolver fits. These fits include the Colt Single Action Army and Frontier Scout revolvers as well as Ruger revolvers ranging from the Single Six to the New Vaquero to the Super Blackhawk.
Me, My Single Six, and My Bianchi Lawman
As an advocate for raw handgun power, I am a big single-action revolver fan. But my favorite single action, and one of my most favorite handguns, is the Ruger Single Six.
This overbuilt .22 rimfire revolver is big enough to be built up to .32 H&R Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum in revolvers like the Single Seven. But in its standard configuration, it is available in .22 LR/.22 Magnum and has laser beam accuracy in spades — at least for a handgun at reasonable ranges.
My old second-hand Single Six is my trail gun that I carry while hunting. It provides more than enough for signaling and shooting small game. It also gives me six quick shots if I can’t reload my rifle. I had carried it in a Triple K belt holster, which was ill-fitting and the retention straps tended to unretain themselves. So, I made that holster scarce and bought a Bianchi Lawman left-handed holster instead.
This Lawman holster is a bit too much for my 5.5-inch Single Six, since it will fit up to a 6.5-inch model. But a little extra holster is something I could live with.
Out of the box, the Lawman fits nearly like a glove but is very snug. On the first few fits, I struggled to get the retention strap to snap over the hammer in the prescribed way. But after doing so and leaving the holster to fit the revolver for a few days in the safe, I had no further issues securing the revolver in the holster.
In the few months I have tested the holster, the same firm shape that guides the revolver during the draw stroke still holds as firm as the day it came in the mail.
The Bianchi Lawman affords a comfortable high ride and just enough of a cant to prevent a grab from the rear. It keeps the majority of the revolver out of the elements, save for the grip and the trigger. By modern standards, it is expected that the holster cover up the trigger, but an un-cocked single-action revolver has a dead trigger as it is.
Although the retention strap was tight at first, after a few days of breaking the holster in, the strap fits snugly over the revolver while allowing for easy snapping and unsnapping of the strap from its snap. From the draw, it is not difficult to sweep the strap open with the trigger finger while you get a full firing grip in the holster.
All things considered, the Bianchi Lawman is simplistically styled in a fashion not unlike common Western holsters popular with single-action and later double-action revolvers from the 1870s through the Great Depression. It looks the part without the added bother of tooling and other personalization. Where it makes up for that is the fact that it fits like a glove and remains stiff without making you sore even after a full day of carry.
While there is no shortage of Western-style holsters on the market, the Bianchi Lawman is worth a hard look as a no-frills choice.
